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Christian, Snowboarding in Vail
March 6, 2021
Christian, 39, and his wife Christina from Denver, CO took a snowboarding trip to Vail after he battled non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They were the first trip to happen after the pandemic put Victory Trips on hold! Christian loved teaching his wife how to ski and being able to snowboard for the first time in 5 years with ideal powder conditions in the Rockies.
“Snowboarding has always been one of my favorite things to do. Throughout my chemotherapy I would often visualize snowboarding in order to take my mind off the pain or allow myself something to think about. To go snowboarding again marked a return to health, and a realization of the thing that helped keep me going through some of the darkest times of my life. Christina was the one that walked with me through cancer and in many ways, our memories together on the trip were a beautiful metaphor. On the last day, almost a foot of fresh snow had fallen on the mountain and I hiked out on a peak to ride down untouched faces and forests of powder.”
From Fairfax, Virginia, 32-year-old Amanda and her wife Emily took a trip to Hawaii after her battle with breast cancer. They went night diving with manta rays, snorkeling with turtles, hiking across a volcano, and relaxed enjoying time outdoors.
41-year-old Jacqueline, her son and her sister celebrated in Maui after her battle with breast cancer for over a hear and a half. “It meant the world to me. My son accomplished his first year of college, and my sister graduated with her BA at Fresno State. As a mother and sister, I enjoyed seeing my loved ones happy and celebrating their accomplishments.”
Daniel, 38, and his girlfriend Jennifer took a trip to Maui after he battled stage 4 head and neck cancer. They got the full Maui experience with a luau, driving through Hana, going to the Maui Ocean Center, a Valentine’s dinner cruise and enjoying the beauty of Maui. “It meant the world to me to have anyone do something like that for me was highly appreciated and good for my mind and body to feel alive again. The highlight for us was the whales splashing and waving to us while we were on our Valentine’s dinner cruise, and it was amazing.”
Whitney, 33, and her daughter Lydia traveled to the big island of Hawaii after her fight with breast cancer. They went to the black sand beaches, saw giant sea turtles, and rang in the New Year together. “As a single mom, being able to take my daughter who helped me through chemo and to close the door on cancer was so special. We celebrated the New Year in Hawaii, and when it turned midnight we had a moment of fresh start. It was an amazing thing to let go of all the weight and heartaches that came with cancer.”
Bradley and his wife Stefany from Modesto, CA honeymooned in the Maldives after his fight with Hodgkin’s lymphoma. They did it all, from parasailing to seeing sharks up close! “At a time when it felt like nothing was going right and the world was determined to beat me, 17 Strong gave me the opportunity to take the love of my life on a dream honeymoon, one that we would have never been able to take on our own, to paradise! Becoming part of the 17 Strong family has help me to find the strength on the days that try to test my resolve, and experience the trip of a lifetime with my WIFE (I love getting to finally call her that!).”
From Omaha, Nebraska, Andrew wanted to go to a Dallas Cowboys football game. During his first semester at Kansas State, Andrew was diagnosed with leukemia and was forced to put his college career and life on hold. After fighting cancer, the 21-year-old leukemia survivor invited his dad on his dream vacation that included a tour of the Cowboys stadium and being on the field for pre-game warmups. “This is something I have always wanted to do with my dad but never truly been able to. I certainly didn’t think was reasonable with given medical conditions for a long foreseeable future. It meant the world and more to me to be able to have the opportunity to go on a trip like this with my biggest supporter. The highlight of the trip was going down on the field during the pregame warm-ups and getting to see all the players up close.”
19-year-old Zachary from Braceville, Illinois beat brain cancer and took a trip with his dad Mike to Maui. Their trip included riding around on motorcycles, zip-lining, a luau, attending the Pipe Masters surf competition, and soaking up the beauty of Maui. “This was a perfect way to get my mind off what had happened but at the same time show me that I won my battle. The highlight of the trip was spending time with my dad and the nature around the island, so many things to see but the pictures don’t actually capture the experience.”
Julie took her husband Chris with her to Barbados after battling stage 3 breast cancer. She was diagnosed with cancer a month after moving from Oklahoma to LA, where they moved 20 times with four kids while she endured chemotherapy. After this difficult year, Julie and Chris enjoyed the beautiful beaches and relaxing nature of the island. “This trip was truly about celebrating a victory from a long journey of battling the ruthless disease called cancer. It wasn’t just a victory trip for me though, it was a discovery of how this beautiful organization came around me to truly show me family. This trip is a representation of how people can come around you and love you do you even if you just barely know them. It represents true rest and healing and reminding us of the best is yet to be.”
20-year-old, Kellen Franzen from Yankton, South Dakota overcame Hodgkin’s lymphoma. With a love for cars, Kellen and his friend came to California where he had an adrenaline-packed day with a private drifting lesson at Bay Area Drifting. The two also attended a Post Malone concert.
Jo’el and his wife celebrated his victory in the Mayan Ruins in Tulum, Mexico after his fight with cancer. Wanting some adventure, Jo’el and his wife did a cenote tour with zip-lines, kayaking, and swimming. “I was willing to fight cancer but was not ready to have my family, friends and community have sit ringside to the beating I was going to take. 17 Strong gave me a light that I could show my kids and all that helped me get through those dark times. To be able to share my Victory Trip with my wife after all that she helped me with was the perfect way to end our fight together!”
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